By Caitlyn Linder \/\/ <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Imagine a college student, so full of stress from classes, and a desk piled a mile high with homework. How would a student find time to relax, much less find a way to relax?<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One student at Hood College has a very simple solution.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Start a club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Kate Weir, a junior law major, has gathered some friends and started a new club on campus: The Hood Grow Getters, to emphasize the importance of self-care and mental health through the use of gardening and taking care of plants. \u201cWe aim to educate ourselves and others about integrating holistic practices into college and student life,\u201d Weir said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cFounding Hood College Grow Getters [is one] of my greatest achievements since coming to Hood,\u201d Weir said. \u201cI’m sure this isn’t the intent of the question, but I [also] think that one of my biggest and one of the accomplishments I’m most proud of is, at the end of the day, just getting out of bed each day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the biggest goals of the Grow Getters is to address student mental health and discuss coping mechanisms involving plants. \u201cAt our first event, tea-tasting around the fire on the Blazer Patio, we had about fifteen people attend,\u201d she said. Tea-tasting events, like the one Weir and the Grow Getters held, can teach students about mindfulness, gratitude, stress management and relaxation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When starting a club at Hood, the leader of the club must appoint an executive board of the club. In Weir\u2019s case, the board includes two of her closest friends at Hood, Alex Ingram as the treasurer and Leila Ali as the secretary.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cShe is one of the most kind and caring people I have ever met. We spend most of our free time together and help each other when needed,\u201d Ingram said, reflecting on their friendship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cKate is so nice and easy to talk to. She is so smart and does so much, she\u2019s very involved with school activities, her academics and plenty of friends and family to juggle,\u201d Ali added.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI am the secretary, so I have just been picking up the slack on anything that needs to be done but no one has the time for. Eventually, I\u2019ll be doing things like taking notes and minutes, as well as possibly making graphics or anything else that needs to be done. We are all involved in brainstorming event ideas,\u201d Ali said about her role in the club.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ali, a junior English major, has been with Kate from the idea of the club to the institution of it at Hood College. \u201cWe talked about it a lot freshman year, and I was really interested in involving college students in something that has always been in my life,\u201d Ali said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Ingram, a senior math and education major, joined a bit later. \u201cIt was rough, she had to fight for this club since freshman year. Leila was already on board when Kate needed someone to be treasurer and I wanted to help her in any way that I could, so I agreed to do so,\u201d Ingram said. \u201cI was just excited to help her do something she really wanted to do. She had always wanted to do this club, but it had never panned out until this year. The dean was really helpful for us and was a supporter as soon as Kate mentioned it to him.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Weir, Ali, and Ingram are looking forward to the future of the club. In addition to learning how to garden, the Grow Getters want to have more events like the tea tasting that teach students how to use plants as coping skills.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
They also hope to expand their reach beyond the campus and into the Frederick community. \u201cI\u2019d like to find students who are interested in helping at farmer\u2019s markets at the beginning and end of the school year. Maybe if we get enough interested students, we could start our own Hood College farmer\u2019s market,\u201d Weir said. \u201cI would also like to work with the school to swap some of the non-native plants on campus with some that are native to our area.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On top of navigating her stress, Weir is helping other students find coping skills through gardening.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Grow Getter\u2019s club meets on Thursday evenings on Hood College\u2019s campus.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"